Redditch Matters summer 2016 by Communications Team

redditch

inside & out

New gym kit for Abbey Stadium

Summer 2016

Redditch matters

A great read for Redditch residents

New opening hours from September

Our Town Hall customer services are open on the first Saturday of every month from September. Call us Make payments Go online

Monday to Friday Every day Every day

9 - 12.30

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9am - 5pm All day All day

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Or you can visit us:

01527 64252 01527 534005 www.redditchbc.gov.uk

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Cover Story Page 4: Take Another Look at Redditch

Redditch Borough Council, Town Hall, Walter Stranz Square, Redditch, Worcs, B98 8AH Monday - Friday 9am - 5pm Saturday - 9am - 12pm (Cashiers & Town Hall)

Call us

Customer Services: 01527 64252 Out of Hours emergency: 01527 67666

Page 13: Meet the Mayor

www.redditchbc.gov.uk Redditch Borough Council

Page 21: Stay Safe This Summer

@RedditchMatters If you want this magazine in a different format, e.g. audio CD, or language, call 01527 881296.

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Redditch Borough Council, Town Hall, Walter Stranz Square, Redditch, Worcs, B98 8AH

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Page 18: Rock out at Morton Stanley Festival

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Page 24: Keep Redditch Clean!

The council does not endorse any of the products or services advertised in this magazine by external customers. To advertise in this magazine call 01527 881296.

A message from the Leader Welcome to this edition of Redditch Matters which gives me the opportunity to share with you news from this council and across the borough. First of all I am proud to have taken part in the Armed Services Day along with other council colleagues from all parties. To echo the words of Rev Richard Clark, who led the service, it is important to give our armed services our full support. This event was followed by a service to mark the 100th anniversary of the Battle of the Somme – also a humbling experience. I do try to lead and unite the borough but it has to be a team effort and thankfully we do achieve this as a borough. The council is also supporting the Worcestershire Interfaith Forum’s statement on the current outbreak of racism and religious intolerance. We agree with the intent that we should be building bridges not walls at this time and I indeed, as I write, a motion against hate crime, which has cross-party support, is set to be discussed at council. It is the sense of community in Redditch that I believe makes us so special and I attended the re-opening of the Polish Club a couple of weeks ago which was a great day. And I am delighted to share with you through Redditch Matters the packed programme of events and activities that we are holding throughout the summer. As I attend many of these it’s good to see everyone coming together and, hopefully, enjoying the sunshine which unfortunately we can’t guarantee! We have also launched our Promoting Redditch campaign which is aimed at attracting business to the area to boost our local economy but, as we showcase what the borough has to offer, it’s also a reminder to residents of what a great place this is to live! Of course there are some serious notes in this edition including warnings about not swimming in the open water, no matter how inviting it looks, and an update on the Local Plan. So please read on and enjoy the summer!

Cllr Bill Hartnett, Leader of Redditch Borough Council

North East Worcestershire Telecare Service

Give peace of mind

No phone needed

NEW Lifeline is a telecare service available 24 hours, 365 days a year to any vulnerable people living within the Redditch and Bromsgrove districts as well as surrounding areas.

NEW Lifeline is now able to offer customers ‘GSM’ units which allow Lifeline to be installed in users’ homes without the need for a telephone line.

It allows residents such as the elderly, disabled or those with serious health problems to continue to live independently in their own homes.

The GSM units will allow more customers to access the service and will offer greater flexibility of where units can be placed in the home.

A Lifeline unit installed in the resident’s home and a portable pendant allows the user to call for help in an emergency at any time of day or night.

For more information please call 01527 534060 or email: lifeline@bromsgroveandredditch.gov.uk

Our Monitoring Centre Operators will receive the call and assist the user with their emergency.

Give peace of mind to a loved one and your family by subscribing them to the NEW Lifeline telecare service.

Redditch: a place to be proud of! Students from Heart of Worcestershire (HoW) college took part in the launch of a campaign to promote Redditch. The budding mechanics and sports students joined in focus groups run by the council’s communications team as part of a campaign to attract more businesses to Redditch. Run over two years, the council, which is part of the North Worcestershire Economic Development and Regeneration Partnership (NWEDR) is planning to promote the borough through social media, photography and digital campaigns in a bid to build pride. And it’s not all about attracting businesses to the borough – we want the campaign to remind residents that Redditch is a great place to live by reminding them what it has to offer. To collect perceptions about the borough from workers and entrepreneurs of the future, officers asked the students who were from Redditch, what keeps them ‘Inside’ and what they go ‘Outside’ for. Some students lived ‘Outside’ Redditch so they revealed what brought them ‘Inside’. The feedback will be used to drive the campaign and similar consultation will take place in two years’ time to see if perceptions have changed with students. HoW College is a partner on the Redditch Economic Development Theme Group, led by the council.

redditch Snap-happy students Students were also invited to take part in a photography competition depicting the borough with winning images being used in the campaign. Victoria Abdy is the winning student and will pick up £50 of Kingfisher vouchers for her shot (below) which we will use in future publicity.

inside & out

Redditch - take another look As part of the campaign we have been taking an in-depth look at what the borough has to offer and looking beyond the immediate perceptions of Redditch. Through photographic images we want to show that Redditch has areas of beauty on people’s doorsteps, has a mix of shopping and culture and has great leisure opportunities next to excellent transport links. We will be using these photographs and more to urge people to look again at Redditch.

“I stay in redditch for shopping and cinema” “i come to redditch to go to college and see my friends”

“My family are here”

“I see my mates and play football” “Redditch has good travel connections and diverse industrial businesses” #lookagain at #Redditch

Crematorium recycling scheme raises £4,000 Crematorium recycling scheme raises £4,000 for charity Redditch Crematorium has made its latest donation of over £4,000 to a local charity following the recycling of left over metal. The crematorium, on Bordesley Lane, presented a cheque for £4,445 to Footsteps, a free service of support for bereaved families in Worcestershire in April. With permission from the family the crematorium recycles metals, such as replacement joints. Sue Smith, spokesperson for Footsteps, said: “We provide our service free of charge to bereaved families and can only continue to do so with the support of the local community. We are immensely grateful to receive this valuable donation from the Crematorium, which will help us enormously in our work.” Michael Birkinshaw, Redditch Borough Council Bereavement Services Manager, said: “We’re proud to do all that we can to support our local community, particularly people that are going through a bereavement.” Footsteps is a registered charity providing support for bereaved children, young people and their families in Worcestershire following the death of a parent, sibling or other significant person in their life. If you would like further information on the services Footsteps provides, call them on 0845 467 6065 or visit www.talktofootsteps.co.uk

Open day raised mental health awareness An open day to encourage mental health and fitness for everyone was held at the Abbey Stadium Sports Centre in May, in support of Redditch MHAG (Mental Health Action Group). Given the links between physical activity and mental health, the stadium opened its doors to everyone to try a range of free classes including Grit, Zumba, Studio Cycling, Bootcamp, Mobility, Thai Chi and Yoga, and ran special offers on membership particularly for friends. Speaking before the event Cllr Bill Hartnett, Leader of Redditch Borough Council, said: “We know exercise is a key factor in maintaining physical and mental health so we’re pleased to be supporting local mental health charities. Our open days always have a really great atmosphere with the buzz of people attending classes. It’s a chance for visitors to find out what’s on offer at the Abbey and benefit from some of the great discounts during the day.”

Housing Benefit system changes You won’t be able to claim Housing Benefit after you’ve been abroad for four weeks, under new national rules coming in this July. From Monday July 25, after spending four weeks out of the UK you will no longer be entitled to claim Housing Benefit. This is a change from the previous length of time the Government allowed for Housing Benefit claims during what are known as ‘temporary absences’, which was 13 weeks. If you are going away for more than four weeks simply tell us beforehand to avoid claiming benefits to which you are not entitled and potentially committing benefit fraud. Head of Customer Access and Financial Support Amanda Singleton said: “We want to make sure our customers to know about this national change. If you’re going to be out of the country for more than four weeks, just be sure to notify us before you go. That way you will avoid any problems with Housing Benefit payments further down the line.” This is part of Government changes to the ‘temporary absences from Great Britain’ rules for Housing Benefit. Please note that it also applies to Pension Credit, although we do not administer Pension Credit. For more information on the change please see www.gov.uk

Abroad for more than 4 weeks? Notify us: Online: www.redditchbc.gov.uk/benefits By phone: 01527 534050 In person: Any of our customer service centres

We can help you get online Would you like to learn more about technology, computers or the internet? Want some face-to-face support and as much help as you need? Then stop by and have a go at our FREE digial drop-in service at the Town Hall, Batchley Support Group and Woodrow Customer Service Centre. Getting online could help you:

Get access to information Be more independent Learn new skills Save money Stay in touch Gain confidence Meet new people

FREE drop in sessions: Redditch Town Hall, Thursdays, 10.00am - 12.00pm & 2.00pm - 4.00pm Town Hall, Walter Stranz Square, Redditch, B98 8AH Batchley Support Group, Tuesdays, 2.30pm - 4.30pm 21 Salters Lane, Redditch, B98 0EQ Woodrow Customer Service Centre, Mondays, 9.00am - 11.00am Woodrow Centre, Redditch, B98 7RY

www.redditchbc.gov.uk/go-online

New gym is fit There’s a fresh new fitness suite at the Abbey Stadium Sports Centre! With state of the art computerised stations why not have your run on a beach, or plug in your own phone to catch your favourite TV or music while you work out? The exciting new kit opened to the public on Friday July 15.

Become a member of Springs @ Abbey Stadium from £25 / month today to get all this and more: Early access to 80+ fitness classes a week - Treadmills – Trainers - Upright bikes Recumbent bikes - Hand bikes – Rowers Power plates - Resistance equipment

Did you know? The Abbey Stadium Sports Centre includes a free car park with two electric car charging points, swimming & learner pools, dedicated studios for dance and spin, a sports hall, full track and field facilities for athletics and grass football pitches too? It’s much more than just a great gym.

Gym for a day? You can get a day pass to the fitness facilities at Abbey Stadium Sports Centre for just £5 (£6.70 after 5pm). Why not give it a try? You can also try a Springs fitness class for £4.60, or a Les Mills class for £5.70.

What’s on at Forge Mill? Sculpture modelling at Forge Mill Sat 23 and Sun 24 July 2016: 10.00am to 4.00pm Get inspired by the museum collections and experiment with this craft skill to create your own sculpture. This is the last of the Scour Project workshops funded by £15,000 investment from the National Lottery through Arts Council England.

FREE Booking in advance is essential.

Condensed Histories: Ancient Warrior Shows Mon 25 July, Fri 5 August, Mon 8 August, Mon 15 August, Mon 22 August 2016 Greg Chapman uses juggling, unicycling and other variety skills to perform shows about the Gladiators of Ancient Rome, Warrior Queen Boudicca and the Spartans. This event is in conjunction with our exhibition: Way of the Warrior: Epic Movies and Armour.

FREE Optional museum entry at normal rates.

Lego Castles Workshop Wed 3 August 2016: 9.30am, 11.30am and 2.00pm Wed 10 August 2016: 9.30am, 11.30am and 2.00pm Castles for knights with the Create Build Learn team. 90 minute workshops.

£5.00 Booking in advance is essential. Please phone 01527 62509 to reserve your place(s)

Romans and Ancient Britons Sat 6 and Sun 7 August 2016: 11.00am to 4.00pm Step back into an ancient world! - Iron age British living history and combat - Everyday Roman life - Fully armoured Romans in their camp

Please visit www.forgemill.org.uk for more information

Adults £2.00, Children £1.00 Includes entry into the museum

Forge Mill Needle Museum & Bordesley Abbey Visitor Centre

Needle Mill Lane, Riverside, Redditch, B98 8HY

Pop up gallery coming to the Kingfisher Centre The Scour exhibition which has been at Forge Mill for the last few weeks is now moving to the old “Bank” shop, 18 Walford Walk, (opposite Pep & Co.) for people to have a look at. The gallery will feature artworks from the Scour Exhibition based on Forge Mill and the needle industry as well as showing off some special needle ‘graffiti’ style hangings. The work created by the public during the workshops will also be shown and visitors can chat to project artists Keith Ashford and Liz Turner. The gallery will be open 10-4pm Mon - Sat, 1st - 13th August.

Palace Youth Theatre

Sweeney Todd

2:30pm and 7:30pm on Saturday 13th Aug. The Demon Barber of Fleet Street will be coming to the Palace Theatre in August when the Palace Youth Theatre’s Summer School Group bring the characters of this dark tale to life…or death!

Tickets £12.00* and £10.00* (disc) £35.00* (family ticket) *inclusive of booking fee £1 per ticket up to a maximum of £4.

His Dark Materials PYT put on a fantastic production of His Dark Materials earlier in July and told audiences the magical tale of a young girl, Lyra, and her mysterious Uncle, Lord Asriel, based on the same novels as the film ‘The Golden Compass’ starring Daniel Craig and Nicole Kidman.

www.redditchpalacetheatre.co.uk/palace-youth-theatre

Parking at Abbey Stadium - FREE bus to Forge Mill

SUNDAY 28TH w o r Scarec AUGUST day 2016 11AM - 4.30PM Scarecrow Making Children’s Activities Craft Stalls Animal Mania Admission: Live Band ‘Wychwood’ Pony Rides & More.... £2 Adults, £1 Children A Great Family Day Out! Includes admission to the Way of the Warrior exhibition Please see websites below for more info

Scarecrow making days

Wed 24th & Thur 25th August, 11am - 3pm Bring some old clothes and make a scarecrow to enter into our Scarecrow Day competition. No booking required, £3 per scarecrow

Forge Mill Needle Museum & Bordesley Abbey Visitor Centre, Needle Mill Lane, Riverside, Redditch, B98 8HY Tel: 01527 62509 Email: events@bromsgroveandredditch.gov.uk

www.forgemill.org.uk www.redditchbc.gov.uk/things-to-do

Gift for council Unwanted home adaption aids are set to be put to good use by the council’s housing team. The equipment, which includes grab-rails and shower seats and is worth around £2,500, was discovered by a company, Vinci Construction UK Limited, in an empty premises that they had taken over. The then mayor, Cllr Pattie Hill, heard from a colleague at a local charity that the firm were offering to give the equipment away but hadn’t found a willing recipient and asked whether they would be of use to the council for its housing adaptations. Cllr Hill was very pleased to accept the equipment on behalf of the Council. She said: “When I heard that this much-needed equipment was looking for a new home, I knew we could put it to good use as a council and take it off Vinci’s hands. “We carry out a lot of adaptions to properties and this equipment will go someway to benefit our residents.”

11am - 3pm

No change at last council elections Labour retained overall control of Redditch Borough Council after May’s elections yielded no changes. All of the nine seats that were contested at the ballot box were held by their incumbent councillors, so the council continued to be made up of 15 Labour councillors, 13 Conservative councillors, and 1 UKIP councillor. There are no ordinary borough council elections next year because seats on Redditch Borough Council are won for four years, and one third of the council is contested at each election. As it takes three years to elect all 27 borough councillors, nine at a time, there are no elections in one year out of every four – unless there are by-elections for any reason.

...except for the job of Mayor The council may have stayed the same but the Mayor’s chain passed from Cllr Pattie Hill (Batchley & Brock Hill) to Cllr Joe Baker (Greenlands). For his charities for this year Cllr Baker chose Redditch Mental Health Action Group, Charlotte and Craig Saving Hearts Fund, and the Samaritans. Joe said: “I am very proud and very pleased to have been appointed Mayor of Redditch. It is an honour to have been elected. I want to make the town more inclusive, multicultural and diverse. I want to be a people’s mayor, available to everyone not just a few.” During her time as mayor, Cllr Hill raised £7,000 for her chosen charities, which were Touchstone, Redditch First Responders, and Redditch Cat Rescue. “It has been an amazing experience,” she said.

EU Referendum figures Here are the official figures for Redditch in the referendum that took place this time last month: Remain 17,303 and leave 28,579 45,912 ballot papers were counted. 30 ballot papers were rejected all in all. 7 of these marked both answers, 23 were unmarked or void for uncertainty.

Active Redditch s Camp Swimming Multi-Spor t adium @Abbey St Don’t let your children get bored this Summer! Join us for a summer of fun on our action packed multi-sports camp.

Cricket Dance Tennis

Dodgeball Multi-skills

Junior Olympics

T-shirt design

Over 8’s swim daily! Dates: 25th July - 26th August

Ages: 5 - 13 years old

Times: 9.00am - 4.00pm, extended day 8.30am - 5:30pm Daily costs:

Standard: £21.50 | Reddicard: £14.50 | Concession: £10.50 Extended day (additional): £4.00

Weekly costs: pay for 4 days, get 1 free! Standard: £86.50 | Reddicard: £57.50 | Concession: £43.00 Extended day (additional): £16.00

Typical day information below: 8.30am - 9.00am 9.00am Session 1 Break Session 2 Lunch Session 3 Session 4 Session 5 4.00pm - 5.30pm

Extra Time Club Welcome Dodgeball Tri-Golf Treasure Hunt Swimming 8+ years Junior Olympics Cool Down Extra Time Club

Allstar Athletics Academy @Abbey Stadium Learn new skills and make new friends on our week long Athletics camp.

Dates: 8th - 12th August Ages: 8 - 14 years old, all abilities welcome Times: 9.00am - 4.00pm, extended days

available (8.30am - 5:30pm) for additional £16.00

Cost: £72.50 (No daily bookings) FREE T-shirt and certificate for all participants

Book online at www.redditchbc.gov.uk/

ley

Kings @ s p m a C s Spor t

Our dedicated sports camps:

Netball Camp

26th - 28th July 10.00am - 3.30pm

Rugby Camp

23rd - 25th August 10.00am - 3.30pm

DANCE

Dance Camp

NETBALL

30th Aug - 1st Sept 10.00am - 3.30pm Ages: 8 - 14 | Cost: £45.00 (No daily bookings) Additional sibling discount of 10%

Your Ideas Sunny Summer Sessions -

Redditch Community Activities

Every Tuesday & Wednesday, 2.00pm - 4.00pm For over 11’s. Art, craft & games with sport sessions on Wednesdays. Starting 16th August – 31st August, £5.00. Your Ideas Youth & Community Project, contact - 01527 502624 or Facebook Your Ideas Redditch.

YMCA Youth Club - Every Wednesday evening, 6.00pm - 7.00pm (6 - 12 yrs), 7.30pm - 9.00pm (13+) Sports, games, arts and crafts at Willow Trees Community Centre, Church Hill. £1.00, Contact Kate Higginson - 01527 65668 kate.higginson@ymcaworcestershire.org.uk

Cool by the Pool - Saturday 2nd July, 11.00am - 4.00pm At Batchley Pools, all welcome, FREE activity. Contact Paul Woolcock - 07973314083

RYCE @The Redi Centre - Every other Wednesday, 6.30pm - 8.30pm Youth club for young people with learning difficulties/disabilities at The Redi Centre. £1.00 per session for 12 years+.

RYCE Senior Youth Club - Mondays and Fridays, 6.30pm - 8.30pm For 12 - 19 year olds at The Redi Centre. £1.00 per session.

CRUSH - Group support and empowerment for 13-19 year olds. To help make safe and healthy relationships. FREE.

For RYCE and CRUSH activities contact Steve Rafferty - 07982018952 or steve.ryce@mail.com

active-kids

#activeredditch

Redditch Rugby Club Camp for 4 - 14 year olds 10th - 12th August, 10.00am - 2.00pm £30.00 per child for 3 days (additional discount for siblings)

Redditch Rugby Club, Bromsgrove Road, Redditch, B97 4SP

Contact James Shotbolt on 07902 433805 or email james.training@hotmail.co.uk

Junior Summer Golf Camps @Pitcheroak Golf Course

with Chris Stanley Golf Academy Tuesdays & Wednesdays, 26th July - 24th Aug, 9.30am - 3.30pm. Children must be 8yrs+ with a little experience. 8 places available per day. Cost per day: Visitors £17.50 | Reddicard £17.00 Member of Golf Academy £16.50 Or block book four or more dates at £16.00 per day. Hot lunch included. To be allocated a place all payments must be made in advance at the club shop. Coaching and course competitions provided by PGA Golf Professional and assts. All equipment can be provided. Please bring drinks and snacks for the day.

Please contact the golf shop at Pitcheroak Golf Course, Plymouth Road, Redditch, B97 4PB, telephone 01527 541054 or email chrisstanleygolfacademy@hotmail.com for a booking form. For more information please contact 01527 64252 or email sd@bromsgroveandredditch.gov.uk Book online at www.redditchbc.gov.uk/active-kids Hard copy registration forms available upon request.

Book online at www.redditchbc.gov.uk/active-kids

11am - 3pm 26th julY - town centre church green, B97 4DY Stickleback Plasticus - Cats Choir & Matt Pang - Thingamabob

29th julY - winyates shopping centre, B98 0NR Angie Mack - Hula Hoop Show & Bread & Butter Theatre Co - The Cowboys

For more information please contact the Arts and Events Team on 01527 534030 or visit www.redditchbc.gov.uk/things-to-do

Morton stanley festival 2016

sat 1-11pm sun 1-7pm

FREE FREE ENTRY ENTRY 16 hours of local talent

featuring nizlopi The Rock bottoms the after hours spiro

Morton stanley park, redditch parking at green lane B97 5PJ follow event signs

Search for â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;morton stanley festivalâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; online

Family fun at the Bandstand On August 13th, you and your family can enjoy our FREE fun event as the next Bandstand event takes place. It looks set to be a great day with a brilliant atmosphere! As always there will be dance displays and music but the main part of this event are the completely FREE activities for everyone to enjoy! There will be bouncy castles, circus skills, music and craft workshops, face painting, sport activities and much, much more... Stick the date in your diary and keep your kids entertained during the school holidays!

E d v n e a n t t s s‘ d n 16 mer um S a B

Children’s activities & bouncy castle at all events Aug 13th - Fun, FREE Activities

A fun-filled day of activities including dance, circus & music workshops in the family fun zone.

Sept 17th - Bandstand Community Festival

A cultural event of music, performance, food, stalls & activities. Children’s fancy dress procession with Tommy Wilson’s funfair. Outdoor performances subject to change/cancellation due to adverse weather conditions. All details correct at time of going to print; events programme may be subject to change.

For more info please call the Events Team on 01527 534030 or email events@bromsgroveandredditch.gov.uk www.redditchbc.gov.uk/things-to-do

UM OL

PUBLIC LANES

CLOSED TO PUBLIC Swimming timetables & waterHOLIDAY safety FOR HIRE CLOSED

HOLIDAY KINGSLEY POOL TIMETABLE TIMETABLE

CLOSED

6-7pm

7-8pm

PUBLIC 17.30-19.00

ADULT LANES 19.00-20.00

8-9pm

9-10pm

BETA SWIM 20.00-21.30

CLOSED

TIMETABLE

FUN SESSION

CLOSED

Swimming pool timetables for the Abbey Stadium and Kingsley Sports Centre main pool and learner pools can be found online at www.redditchbc.gov.uk/swimming or alternatively you can pick a copy up from one of the centres. ADULTS ONLY Our website is also where you will find dedicated summer holiday timetables for swimming at both centres, as well as LESSONS CLOSED information on swimming lessons, water bambinos, pool hire, pool parties and aquafit.

DITCH SWIM Kingsley CLUB Sports Centre, REDDITCH OTTERS LADIES NIGHT OL 00-19.00 19.00-20.30 20.30-22.00 Woodrow Drive, Redditch B98 7UH.

CLOSED CLOSED

CLOSED

BLIC 00-19.00

Open : Mon - Fri 8am - 9.30pm. Sat 8am - 8pm Sun 9am-5.00pm ADULT LANES REDDITCH Tel: (01527)19.30-20.30 529724 SWIM CLUB Email: kingsleysc@bromsgroveandredditch.gov.uk 20.30-21.30 Visit: www.redditchbc.gov.uk

REDDITCH SWIM CLUB 17.30-19.00

PUBLIC 19.00-21.00

ADULT LANES 21.00-22.00

Abbey Stadium, Birmingham Road, Redditch B97 6EJ. Open : Mon - Fri 6.45am - 10pm. Sat & Sun 8am - 8pm Tel: (01527) 60206 Email: springs.sales@redditchbc.gov.uk Visit: www.redditchbc.gov.uk

CLOSED

Sat & Sun 8am - 8pm Tel: (01527) 60206 CLOSED BOYS BRIGADEsprings.sales@redditchbc.gov.uk Email: 18.00-19.00 PUBLIC LANES Visit: www.redditchbc.gov.uk

ES CLOSED TO PUBLIC 00

HOLIDAY Stay SAFE this Summer TIMETABLE

FOR HIRE

FUN SESSION

CLOSED

ADULTS ONLY LESSONS

SPOT ADVICE FRIEND EMERGENCY

NGSLEY POOL METABLE

-9pm

9-10pm CLOSED

BETA SWIM 20.00-21.30

REDDITCH SWIM CLUB 20.30-21.30

CLOSED

LADIES NIGHT 20.30-22.00

ADULT LANES 21.00-22.00

Kingsley Sports Centre, Woodrow Drive, Redditch B98 7UH. Open : Mon - Fri 8am - 9.30pm. Sat 8am - 8pm Sun 9am-5.00pm Tel: (01527) 529724 Email: kingsleysc@bromsgroveandredditch.gov.uk Visit: www.redditchbc.gov.uk Abbey Stadium, Birmingham Road, Redditch B97 6EJ. Open : Mon - Fri 6.45am - 10pm. Sat & Sun 8am - 8pm Tel: (01527) 60206 Email: springs.sales@redditchbc.gov.uk Visit: www.redditchbc.gov.uk

CLOSED

ONLY 1.30

CLOSED

Abbey Stadium,

BBEY STADIUM E ONLYB97 6EJ. PUBLIC Birmingham Road, ADULTS Redditch ARNER POOL 19.30-21.30 18.00-19.30 Open : Mon - Fri 6.45am - 10pm. METABLE

www.rlss.org.uk

Check for hazards such as tides or currents Consider what could be hidden under the water Be careful of unsafe banks, stay well back from the edge Always read the signs Only swim where there is a lifeguard Wear buoyancy aids and life jackets Swim with your friends and family Friends can get help Never swim alone Find the nearest phone and call 999 or 112 Shout loudly to attract attention Never enter the water to save someone

No smoke without fire It’s that time of the year when windows are open, washing is out, and garden bonfires are being lit. There are no laws against having a bonfire, but there are laws for the nuisance they can cause, so here is a quick guide to domestic bonfires.

Burning household waste

You can’t burn household waste as it’s illegal for you to get rid of your waste in a way that will cause pollution or harm people’s health. Your wheeled bins for recycling and waste are the simplest way to get rid of household waste, and you can also use your local recycling centres for free or pay a registered waste carrier like a skip hire company to take away it for you.

Burning garden waste

Composting is a great way to get rid of garden waste, fertilise your soil, and save money on shop-bought compost. If you are going to burn some plant materials, they produce far more smoke when they are fresh and wet than when they have been dried out for a while beforehand.

Causing danger to traffic by smoke

You could be fined if you light a fire and you allow the smoke to drift across the road and become a danger to traffic.

Complaining about a bonfire

Normally a bonfire is a private matter that is up to you to discuss with your neighbour. If a bonfire affects you frequently it could be a nuisance, and the council can issue a notice requiring a person to stop causing a nuisance or face a fine. However this can only happen at the end of a process where the source of the problem has been shown to be frequent and harmful enough to be considered a nuisance in law. This is the only way the council can intervene. In an emergency call 999. Business waste and pollution laws are stronger, enforced differently, and carry more severe penalties. Report major incidents to the Environment Agency on 0800 80 70 60.

Worcestershire Regulatory Services delivers services including Trading Standards, Environmental Health and Licensing services throughout the county.

News roundup Voluntary and community sector funding If you are a new or established voluntary or community sector organisation and want to set up innovative projects in Redditch, you could be eligible for funding under the borough council’s grants schemes. Find out more at www.redditchbc.gov.uk/grants Some recent awards: Voluntary and Community Sector Grants – larger grants under set themes, offered each September for the following financial year: Young Mums “Get Creative” Group (IDC Sewing Café) - Where Next Association - Two Pennies Money Advice - Redditch Play Council - Work and Skills Club (What’s Your Point?) - The Ditch Youth Project - Adult Mentoring Project (Mentor Link) Stronger Communities Grants - less formal grants for smaller projects in several funding rounds each year: Social day trips (Sunset Club/Smallwood Residents Association) - African Caribbean culture sharing (Batchley Support Group) - A Palace Theatre evening for informal unpaid carers (Carers Careline) - Internet café (RYCE)

Grand day at the Green Fair Residents and visitors were treated to a grand day out when the ever-popular fun, family Green Fair and Lions Fun Day returned to Arrow Valley Countryside Park. The council teamed up with Redditch Lions to put on the Green Fair and Lions Fun Day on Sunday 26th June from 11am until 5pm. This year, attractions included live music, pony rides, face painting, children’s activities, climbing wall, crafts stalls, circus skills, laser clay shooting, owls, smoothie bike, demonstrations and more. There was also a classic car display with many well known and some more obscure cars of yesteryear on show in their original glory and a display of Enfield motorbikes. Local cadet corps were invited to complete challenges, such as a game of tug of war, in a bid to win the Redditch Lions Trophy. A fun sunny day was had by all! If you’d like to be involved in next year’s event contact the councils Arts and Events Team on 01527 534030 or email events@bromsgroveandredditch.gov.uk

Garage demolition scheme continues in Woodrow More Woodrow residents benefited from improved facilities and layout as a further 14 garages were demolished in June. Astley Close was the latest location to be developed under Redditch Borough Council’s public realm improvements scheme which began in Matchborough in 2009. Residents from the close were consulted on the proposals and work began on the 20th June. The demolition has made way for more car parking and the landscaping of the area has been improved. The removal of the garages aims to create improved parking for the residents as well as improving the general quality of the environment and community safety of the area. Astley Close is the tenth location to be visited by the borough council’s continuing programme of turning old garages, often used simply for storage as they are too small for most modern vehicles, into useful new parking spaces and other enhancements. Sites are prioritised according to their assessed need.

New lease signed at Redditch Football Club It is an exciting year for the non-league side as it celebrates its 125th anniversary by embarking on a major £900,000 redevelopment that is seeing the club install a 3rd generation (3G) artificial grass pitch, revamp facilities at the ground and bolster the community section to nearly 60 junior, disabled and women’s teams. September will also see the launch of the new Redditch United Football Academy. Councillor Bill Hartnett, leader of Redditch Borough Council, explained that the new lease together with the improved facilities would be good news for the town. He said: “We have been working on this for a long time and I’m delighted that we have reached an agreement that will benefit the entire community who will be able to use the excellent Valley Stadium facilities.”

Doing our bit to keep Redditch clean Did you know that the borough council cares for Redditch in small local teams who each look after a part of the borough? The council’s three ‘place’ teams are all assigned a patch to work on. One team does the town centre and surrounding areas (Abbey, Central, Greenlands and Lodge Park), one does the Eastern wards (Church Hill, Matchborough, and Winyates), and a third team does the wards to the South West (Astwood Bank and Feckenham, Batchley and Brockhill, Crabbs Cross, Headless Cross and Oakenshaw, and West). This allows us to get more familiar with local issues that affect cleanliness in certain areas. For example, if there is a spot we repeatedly have to litter-pick, we will be better able to work in the local community try and work out why. When the same people work in a place every day, they can better get to know local residents and business. It also means the local place teams can focus on the issues that they know their community cares about, and that they can see are a local priority.

What you can do Keep taking pride

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We always support extra action by people in their communities. Just contact us on 01527 881188 and we can help you to organise some local activity.

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Clean it up together

If you have specific concerns that you think need attention, your ward councillor is there to hear them. You can find your councillor’s details at www.redditchbc.gov.uk/council

Speak to your ward councillor

If you love where we live and take pride in your places, don’t stand by. If you spot a problem, let us know and we will investigate. You can also report anyone that you see littering, including allowing their dog to foul, in confidence. If we have enough evidence we will not hesitate to issue a Fixed Penalty Notice. Let us know on www.redditchbc.gov.uk/report-it or 01527 881288.